Dear Reader,
Zimbabwe was once one of the most promising countries in Africa with a thriving
agricultural industry, one of the region’s highest literacy rates and a robust healthcare
system. Today, the people of Zimbabwe are facing desperation. Twenty
eight years of increasingly dictatorial rule by President Robert Mugabe have led
to hyperinflation, food shortages and a breakdown of basic public services.
Last year, the world watched Zimbabwe suffer through a botched and violent election.
But recently, after months of bitter negotiations with President Robert Mugabe, opposition
leader Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as the new Prime Minister, forming a “unity
government” that will attempt to move the country forward. It won’t be easy. Last
year’s disastrous election and President’s Mugabe’s continued presence casts doubt
about how much change is possible. The good news is that Zimbabwe does not
have to do this work alone. The African Union (AU) will serve as guarantor for this
new government and it is critical that they take immediate action to ensure
Zimbabwe’s unity government takes steps in the right direction.
Please take a moment to sign our petition to the newly-elected African Union chairman
Muammar Gaddafi, and show the African Union that the world is watching to make sure
it keeps its promise to Zimbabwe’s new unity government:
http://www.one.org/international/zimbabweandtheau/o.pl?id=842-2965367-zH0pcTx&t=3
Petition text:
Please ensure that the African Union executes its role as guarantor of the
new Zimbabwe unity government.
The African Union can put Zimbabwe on the right footing and show the world
that it is serious about change by aggressively policing the agreement,
and, at a minimum, acting on the four recommendations offered by civil society groups
in Zimbabwe:
- Insist on the immediate cessation of abductions and torture, as well as the
release of the human rights activists and political prisoners.
- Demand that humanitarian agencies be allowed to work in an unrestricted environment.
- Call for an immediate repeal of unjust legislation like the Access to Information
and the Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the Public Order and Security Act (POSA).
- Ensure an enabling environment for the new unity government.
The consequences of years of poor governance in Zimbabwe are poverty and disease
on a tragic scale. Public hospitals have been without running water for months and
more than 3,000 people have died in Africa’s worst cholera epidemic in 19 years.
Schools have been shut down because teachers can’t be paid. The agricultural sector
has collapsed, half the population requires emergency food aid and humanitarian aid
groups are struggling to keep up.
We’re not the only ones calling for action. In South Africa,
activist and co-founder of the Global Campaign Against Poverty, Dr. Kumi Nadoo had
this to say: "Unity within governmental structures alone does not address the
humanitarian and human rights issues that the people of Zimbabwe face on a daily
basis. Therefore, the AU must – first and foremost – demand that the Zimbabwean government
listen to and respect its people."
Please help the people of Zimbabwe by signing our petition to the African Union:
http://www.one.org/international/zimbabweandtheau/o.pl?id=842-2965367-zH0pcTx&t=5
Thank you,
David Lane, ONE.org
P.S. Thank you for taking part in the successful Include Africa campaign. On Friday,
we delivered both the original petition, and the note thanking Prime Minister Gordon
Brown for inviting the African Union to the G20. Read more on the ONE Blog: http://www.one.org/blog/2009/02/20/africa-included/?id=842-2965367-zH0pcTx&t=7
